Across Vietnam Tour from South to North

Depart from Ho Chi Minh city, enjoy the scenic journey driving on the National Highway with green rice fields along the way. After getting to My Tho, visit Vinh Trang pagoda, sit back on a boat flowing down Mekong River, viewing traditional stilt houses, fruit plantations and pristine fishing villages on the river bank. Head for Tortoise islet and have a tasty lunch in the orchard garden. Then continue the boat ride to An Khanh – a less touristy attraction in Ben Tre. Get in a hand-rowed sampan crusing on the river, enjoying the coolness and gentle breeze under the shade of the water coconut trees growing along natural canals. Then taste some seasonal fruit & honey tea while listening to the beautiful "Southern Vietnamese folk music", performed by the locals. Visit a family-run business which epitomizes the idyllic rural lifestyle of Vietnam, savour delicious coconut candy and witness yourself the peaceful pastoral life as you roam through fruit plantations and villages. Afterwards, proceed to Can Tho. Stay overnight at a homestay.

Meal: B, L

Wake up in fresh morning air at about 05:00 AM. With the slowly emerging warm sunlight, take a boat trip to explore the picturesque Mekong Delta and feel totally refreshed. Visit Cai Răng floating market, the most dynamic and busiest in the whole area, to see people live in a traditional way. Are you hungry? Transfer back homestay for a hearty breakfast.

Rest for a while before checking out to transfer back HCMC. Overnigh at hotel in HCMC.

Meal: B

Today move from Ho Chi Minh to Hue. Free time in the morning until transfer to airport for your flight to Hue. Upon arrival in Hue, our local tour guide and driver will pick you up and start your afternoon half day tour of Hue. The former imperial capital of Vietnam, Hue is a beautiful city, with the Perfume River flowing through and dividing the city into the northern part and southern part. Explore the UNESCO-listed Imperial Citadel, which is the home of Vietnam’s last royal dynasty- the Nguyen Dynasty, followed with a trip to Minh Mang tomb, the majestic and grand-scale mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang (1791-1841), the 2nd King of Nguyen dynasty. Then visit the over 400-year-old Thien Mu Pagoda and take a relaxing boat trip on the gentle Perfume River to witness the slow-paced local life and modern & traditional structures on the banks.

Meal: B, L

Contine your Vietnam vacation, driving to Hoian while taking in the beautiful view of the coast and Da Nang urban landscape from the top of Hai Van Pass on the way. On arrival in Da Nang, visit Cham Museum that features a fascinating collection of precious works of art, and the famous Marble Mountain to get to the Vong Hai Dai and Vong Giang Dai for incredible view.

After Lunch, have a leisurely walking tour of Hoian ancient town, another World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge that features a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side and the town's most important landmark, a beautiful Chinese Assembly Hall constructed in 1740 as a meeting place for all Chinese residents of the town. The hall is richly decorated with frescos and a replica of a Chinese ship, awell as Phuoc Kien Pagoda, also named Kim Son Pagoda, which was built by Chinese Phuoc Kien merchants at Hoi An in 1697.

End today’s tour at the Central Market, a typical Vietnamese wet market where you will find everything for daily life from fruits and flowers to tailor-made clothes and silk lanterns. The lantern is suitable for souvenir, as the flexible bamboo frames are designed to fold, thus easily transported. Overnight at hotel in Hoian.

Meal: B, L

This morning, accompanied by your guide, ride a bike from your hotel to the place you board the shuttle to cross the River Thu Bon for about 15 minutes, and getting to the Kim Bong carpenters village. You will visit some local crafts shops, such as shipbuilding workshop, wood carving, mosaic and other workshops. Learn from the local artisan about how to make the traditional wooden boats that move the rivers.  Discover the famous basket boats at Mr. Kha’s workshop with a history of 85 years, which manufactures cart boats, woven by bamboo and palm trees.

Continue your biking trip to the Tra Nhieu mat village. With a well-crafted presentation, you’ll learn the war history and their activities. The fishermen leave their nets, boats and prepare their tools for a long sailing of 2 to3 weeks at sea. Spend island hopping via unique bridges made of wood or bamboo. Bike along the river, and see coconut water, fishing nets, and listen to wild birds singing, also see the small pleasants walk on the quiet bamboo bridge in water coconut forest. Thereafer, watch craft mats making in a traditional way.

Ride back to the dock, you board the boat along with local residents and cycle to the Tra Que vegetable village, where there are about 150 farmers and 400 owners live on site, who plant about 20 types of vegetables and herbs including mint, salad, basil, cilantro, broccoli on over 40 hectares of land. It is said that 8 tons of Tra Que vegetables are sold each year. The farmers do not use any pesticides or OGM but natural fertilizers, in particular, a kind of seaweed grown in the river, harvested by villagers by boat every morning.

You will be warmly welcomed by Mr. Minh’s family and invited into his home to enjoy local drinks. Walk around the village and meet locals who work in the garden. The local farmers are glad to teach you all about their cultivation methods and how to protect developing vegetable from the insects. If you wish, join the farmers in preparing gardening activities such as raking the ground, sowing, watering greens, transplanting and tending greens.

Then relax your feet and relieve muscle soreness with a mix of local herbal remedy and Chinese traditional medicine.

Prepare lunch by yourself at a local family’s house. You will learn how to make some popualar Vietnamese dim sum, such as “Tam Huu”, spring roll, “Xeo” pancake. Your lunch will also consist of some other local delicacies, prepared by the host.

Rest for a while before returning to your hotel

Meal: B, L

Enjoy your last minute sightseeing Hoian on your own, then you will be transferred to Danang airport and board your flight to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, be met by our guide and driver, and transfer to your hotel in downtown Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, with an amazing blending of muti-culture.

Meal: B

Start Hanoi city highlight tour visiting visit the house on - stilts of Ho Chi Minh (this is the place where our uncle Ho spent the rest of his life). Admire the One-Pillar Pagoda that can be traced back to the founding of Hanoi in the reign of Emperor Ly Thai Tong (1028-1054). Nor far away is the Temple of Literature, known as a habitual symbol of Hanoi and Vietnam's first university since 1076. Continue visiting Museum of Ethnology, the perfect place that showcases the various customs of 54 Enthnic groups of People in Vietnam, as well as Hoa Lo Prison, a prison built by French colonists 1886. Thereafter, stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, visiting Ngoc Son Temple, and later enjoy the traditional Vietnamese water puppet show.

Meal: B, L

HON GAI HARBOR - BAI TU LONG BAY - CONG DO- CAP LA ISLAND - TRA SAN

07.45 – 8:30: The Swan shutter bus will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi and heading to northeast of Vietnam. On the way to Halong Bay, the bus will stop for a while for you to stretch your leg and refresh

12.00: Arrive at Swan office in Ha Long, with some time to rest, and then you will transfer to Swan Cruises by tender.

12.45: Enjoy welcome drink, be briefing about safety on boat and activities included before check into your cabin.

13.30: Have lunch when you will find leisurely cruising to the core area of Bai Tu Long Bay.

15.30: Get to Cap La Island - the beautiful place in Bai Tu Long bay. kayak through the karst hills and breathtaking landscape, and relax on the island (Based on Halong Bay Board Management, all cruises in Halong Bay are not allowed to arrange swimming activities)

17.30: Return to the boat and enjoyself at the wonderful Sunset party while our cruise is sailing to the overnight anchorage.

19.00: Have dinner in the dining room on board.

20.30: Free time for joining Games, you may also try your luck with squid fishing.

Meal: B, L, D

06.30: Begin your day with morning Tai Chi practice on the Sundeck, while taking in early morning landscape of the bay.

07.00: Enjoy breakfast on board (tea and coffee are free of charge)

08.00: Explore the magical Thien Canh Son cave. With our tour guide’s explaination, you will learn the history of Ha Long Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay and this Cave, which are made by Mother Nature

09.30: Finish packing and check out your cabin. Then join in our traditional cooking demonstration. Please take away all of your belongings from your cabin, you may leave heavy baggage outside of the cabin as our staff will support you transfer directly to the pier.

10.30: Watch a Vietnamese cooking demonstration.

11.00: Enjoy that tasty lunch while our cruise is returning Hon Gai harbour.

12.00: Back to the harbor and disembark in Hon Gai pier.

12.30: Farewell Halong Bay before our bus will take you back to Hanoi.

17.00: End of your 2-day-1-night Halong Bay trip on Swan Cruises  

Meal: B, L

It is the end of your 12 days Vietnam Tour from Ho Chi Minh to Mekong Delta, Hue, Danang and Hoian. Transfer to the airport and fly back home, with the life-time enjoyable memories.

Meal: B